I Live In A Doghouse by Beverly Stowe McClure

A big congratulations to wonderful author and my precious critique partner, Beverly Stowe McClure on the release of her newest middle grade book, I LIVE IN A DOGHOUSE.

Eleven-year-old Nick Cassidy's stepsister delights in calling him gross names. His half-sister loves for Nick to push her in the stroller, to his embarrassment. What if the guys from school see him? All Nick wants is his father to come back and take him away from this crazy family. Is it any wonder he sometimes lives in the doghouse?
 
I LIVE IN A DOGHOUSE is the story of a boy's struggles to accept his new family while he longs for the old. When his father finally returns, will Nick's dreams come true? Or will he discover that memories sometimes are faulty, and it’s best to forget the past and treasure the present?
 
###
 
Beverly, tell us what inspired I LIVE IN A DOGHOUSE.
 
     One night when I was having trouble sleeping, a little voice whispered in my ear. This happens to me a lot. I'm not crazy, though some people that are not writers might disagree. I do listen to what these voices tell me. Sometimes, though not always, it leads to a story. This kid said, "I live in a doghouse." Of course, I was curious, so I asked him why. He didn't tell me any more.
 
     I did nothing about it for a while, but the words stayed in my mind. What was the boy's story? I started tossing around ideas of who he was and why he might live in a doghouse. I remembered stories my mom and dad told me about my half brother, who was eleven years older than me, and who pushed me in the stroller when I was a baby. I don't know whether he was embarrassed or not. He never said, but I liked the idea, and my story started taking shape. The end result is I Live in a Doghouse for MG/Tween readers.

Ha, that's a great story-behind-the-story. Congrats again, Beverly! Readers, buy your own copy here:

 
###
 
About the author:
 
Most of the time, you’ll find Beverly McClure in front of her computer, writing the stories little voices whisper in her ear. When she’s not writing, she takes long walks and snaps pictures of clouds, wild flowers, birds and deer. To some of her friends, she is affectionately known as the “Bug Lady” because she rescues butterflies, moths, walking sticks, and praying mantis from her cats.
For twenty-two years Beverly taught children in grades two through five how to read and write. They taught her patience. Now, she teaches a women’s Sunday school class at her church. To relax she plays the piano. Her cats don’t appreciate good music and run and hide when she tickles the ivories.

Comments

  1. Beverly Stowe McClureJanuary 9, 2015 at 11:51 AM

    Hi Kai. Thanks for spotlighting my latest novel today. I would have been here sooner, but .. it's a long and boring story. If anyone has questions, I'm happy to answer them. Oh, and Kai's fabulous critique helped make this story a good one. :) Have a lovely weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kai Strand, AuthorJanuary 10, 2015 at 5:33 PM

      Aw, thanks for the kind words. I'm sorry you have a long and boring story to tell about your day.

      Best of luck on Doghouse!

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 10, 2015 at 1:17 PM

    Great spotlight. The idea of a boy living in a doghouse is an interesting one. I just bought a Kindle copy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beverly Stowe McClureJanuary 10, 2015 at 4:25 PM

      Thank you, Medeia. I hope you enjoy meeting Nick, and the dog, of course. :)

      Delete
    2. Kai Strand, AuthorJanuary 10, 2015 at 5:33 PM

      Yay, Medeia. I'm so glad to hear you picked up a copy. I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Susan Kaye Quinn, Author of Open Minds, Presents:

Image
Finding Time to Write the Sequel by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) Even before I decided to self-publish my new paranormal/SF novel Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) , I knew it would be a trilogy. But once I had made the decision to publish, the need to get busy on the sequel(s) kicked into high gear. Except that I was also publishing a book. Most writers find it difficult to balance writing with all the other demands in life. Even people who are lucky enough to write full time (which I am, since I write while my kids are at school), there’s still a tug between writing time and all the other things that need to be done. Once you’re published, this all changes, and not for the better. Now, not only do you need to write and get the kids to school and get the laundry done, but you also need to market your book, which can mean everything from actually getting it published (edits, covers, websites, blogs)
Read more

Robot Writing - What It Is & How to Avoid It

Image
Many beginner writers fall into the habit of what I like to refer to as “robot writing.” It’s when you basically write your scenes like a grocery list. Ex: Marcy stood and walked across the room. Then she picked up the candle stick to inspect it. She blinked when she noticed the spot of dried blood. Marcy dropped the candlestick and ran from the room. I call it robot writing because when I'm reading it I tend to fall into a robotic pattern and start to sound like the robot from the old Lost In Space series. "Danger. Danger. Will Robinson." You may as well put numbers in front of each sentence: First Marcy stood and walked across the room. Second she picked up the candlestick to inspect it. Third she blinked when she noticed the spot of dried blood. Fourth she dropped the candlestick and ran from the room. Don’t get me wrong, robot writing is absolutely acceptable in your first draft, no matter your writing experience. Your first p
Read more

Don't Be Closed Minded. Read a Banned Book. #Giveaway

Image
On this list , compiled by the ALA, of the top 100 challenged books of the decades 1990-1999 and 2000-2009, I've read: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Adventure of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Blubber Crank The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time The Dead Zone The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things Fat Kid Rules the World The Giver Harry Potter (series) The Hunger Games (series) The Kite Runner The Lovely Bones Olive's Ocean Speak Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes That Was Then, This Is Now Thirteen Reasons Why Twilight (series) A Wrinkle In Time I would recommend any of them, but especially the titles I've linked. The thing with me and banned books is that I don't get it. The banning thing. Why would you ever feel the right to keep a book out of the hands of other readers? Why would you feel you have the authority to say what some can and cannot read? Do you have the right to voice your o
Read more